Machine for transferring bottles from a carrier swingable in an arcuate vertical path to a vertically oscillatory receptacle carrying member



Nov. 18, 1947. s, MADSEN ETAL 2,431,265

- MACHINE FOR TRANSFERRING BOTTLES FROM A CARRIER SWINGABLE IN AN ARCUATE VERTICAL PATH TO A VERTICALLY OSCILLATORY RECEPTACLE CARRYING MEMBER Filed May 28, 1943 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.1 Q:

LA 18 l 5 12m 186 ,10 M v 1811 0 w 125 7 A 1% J B Mt 1 I m Q l u [N V EN TORS F C CLAUDE 0 KEITH 1-5 BY 1!, JOSEPH F? O'BRIEN ArmeNL-Y SoREN MAD N Nov. 18, 1947. s. MADSEN ETAL 2,431,265

MACHINE FOR TRANSFERRING BOTTLES FROM A CARRIER SWINGABLE IN AN ARCUATE VERTICAL PATH TO A VERTICALLY OSCILLATORY RECEPTACLE CARRYING MEMBER Filed May 28, 1943 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 I l5 l1 fllllllllllll llll lllllllllhl W2 40 mii iNVENTOR5 SOREN MADSEN CLAUDE D. KEITH BY g Jessi? 02mm Arrgmgr Nov. 18, 1947. s. MADSEN ETAL 2,431,265 MACHINE FOR TRANSFERRING BOTTLES FROM A CARRIER SWINGABLE IN AN ARCUATE VERTICAL PATH TO A VERTICALLX QSCILLATORY FECEPTACLE CARRYING MEMBER Filed May 28, 1943 I 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 15 9 i s f e 9 Y 61:5:58 13 A E TRANSMISSION 5 In 185 q 10 a 10 10 1 /1zP JB 1Z M 65 has INVENTOR5 I SOREN Mmsm By CLAUDE LIKE/TH JOSEPH F 082:5!

Nov. 18, v1947. s, EN ETAL 2,431,265 MACHINE FOR TRANSFERRING BOTTLES FROM A CARRIER SWINGABLE IN AN ARCUATE VERTICAL PATH TO A VERTICALLY OSCILLATORY RECEPTACLE CARRYING MEMBER Filed May 28, 1943 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORfi SOEEN MADSON BY mm: D KEITH F 1 E O'BRIEN ATTORNEY Nov. 18 2,431,265

MACHINE FOR TRANSFERRING BOTTLES FROM A CARRIER SWINGABLE IN AN ARCUATE 1947. s. MADSEN ETAL VERTICAL PATH TO A VERTICALLY OSCILLATORY BECEPTACLE CARRYING MEMBER Filed May 28, 1943 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 IN VEN 0R5 OR'EN A D5fN N Wm W78 0 DE A m QJ. as

S. MADSEN .ET AL New. 18, 1947. 2,431,265 MACHINE FOR TRANSFERRING BOTTLES FROM A CARRIER SWINGABLE IN AN ARCUATE VERTICAL PATH TO A VERTI CALLY OSCILLATORY RECEPTACLE CARRYING MEMBER Filed May 28, 1943 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 JNV .TORJ SOREN floss! CLAUDE D KFITH g JOSEPf-I. F OBRIEN 2,431,265 3 FROM A CARRIER SWINGABLE IN AN ARCUATE N 1947' Y s. MADSEN ETAL MACHINE FOR TRANSFERRING BOTTLE VERTICAL PATH TO A VERTICALLY OSCILLATORY RECEPTACLE CARRYING MEMBER 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 v Filed May 28, 1943 INV TOR. 60 REM %A DSEN Wm R m r KW E W W D 4 T T MW A 05 a? Y. B

CUATE VERTICAL PATH TO A VERTICAL- LY OSCILLATORY RECEPTACLE CARRY- ING MEMBER Soren Madsen, Bergenfleld, and Joseph F.

OBrien,

Englewood, N. J,

and Claude D.

Keith, Lake Mahopac, N. Y.; Irene M. Keith administratrix of said Claude D. Keith, deceased: said Madsen assignor to Irene M. Keith,

as administratrix Application May 28, 1943, Serial No. 488,932

, Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in transfer machines for bottles and like articles.

Ihis invention is adapted for use in bottling plants to transfer bottles in relatively large groups, such as case-lots, from one point or position to another and particularly to take bottles from a suitable bottle-feed line, transfer the load to a cellular or non-cellular bottle-carrying case and insert the bottles therein without the usual dropping of the bottles, or to remove empty bottles from such a case and-to transfer the same to a suitable support such as a conveyor-belt for subsequent feeding to a washingmachine or the like. Our invention, however; is not limited to the transfer of bottles alone, but may be used for the transfer of like articles having rim-beads or equivalent tops.

Objects of this invention are to provide a powerdriven machine adapted to move a transfer-head, to a starting position in substantial parallelism with the tops of a group or-load of articles, such as bottles, on a suitable initial support, to cause 7 an automatic engagement at such starting position with the tops of such articles arranged in vertical position; to lift said head upwardly and to transfer the same from such initial or starting support to a delivery position over a suitable delivery support and to. automatically release the load from said transfer head-to deliver the same on said delivery support; toprcvide a machine that will lift and move the articles from an initial starting position to a delivery position while maintaining the said articles in substantially vertical position; to provide a bottle-transfer head movable as a whole in a vertical arc and preferably comprising a relatively stationary bottle-positioning and holding member having for each bottle a bottle-receiving opening cooperating with bottle-engaging plate reciprocable in a horizontal plane over said positioning member and having a registerable receiving opening provided with a communicating radial slot having edges adapted to securely and completely engage the neck of the bottle beneath the conventional outwardly-extending lip or rim-bead (which is slightly greater in diameter than the neck of the bottle), and upon movement in the opposite direction relatively to said holding and positioning member, to completely release said bottles, in combination with means for mechanically moving and shifting in opposite directions said, reciprocable member of said transfer head into engaging and releasing positions at opposite termlnals of movement of the machine; to respectively engage and release the bottles at such terminals of movement of the machine; to provide in such a machine a double-acting shifting mechanism operable at one terminal of movement of the transfer head to shift the reciprocable bottleengaging member to engage the tops of the bottles and in an alternate movement, when the carrier reaches the opposite terminal of movement, to

shift the same bottle-engaging member in the opposite direction to disconnect the transfer head from the load of bottles and to release and deposit the bottles on a suitable support; to provide,'in a machine of the type specified, a bottlespreading mechanism whereby a load of bottles will be received in contacting position from a conventional conveyor line, aggregated into a suitable load, at one end of the machine and then spread in order to separate the individual bottles from each other a suitable distance corresponding with the spacing requirements of a cellular case to be filled or with other transfer mechanism for subsequently handling such bottles; to utilize in a machine of the type specified a transfer head turning about a horizontal axisor shaft in an arcuate vertical plane and cooperating mechanism adapted to lift and transfer bottles from a point or position at one side of said horizontal shaft or axis and to release and deposit the load of bottles at the opposite side of said horizontal'axis; to provide mechanism that conjointly and in synchronism with such arcuate movement will move or tilt a cellular case for a short distance in a direction oppositeto the arcuate movement of the bottles and back again to meet and intercept the bottles and during and prior to the end of their arcuate movement, and thus to position the mouths of the honey-comb cells or comparments in a plane in which the bottoms or heels of the bottles during the last part of their transfer movement will be en aged by the rear walls of the honey-comb chambers,

thus causing said rear walls to function as guides to facilitate the entry of the bottles into the honey-combs, or cells and causing the bottles readily to enter such mouths while the case will move with the head and bottles during the last man-sou part of the arcuate movement thereof. thus avoiding necessity for accurately aligning the cases longitudinally or for the use of guide members and avoiding the usual dropping of the bottles; to mount a bottle transfer head on a drive shaft extending co-axially of the path of movement of the carrier and to oscillate said carrier in a'substantially semi-circular path alternately to opposite sides of said drive shaft to engaging and releasing positions substantially level with each other and with said shaft; to provide an arcuate movable transfer head having a floating vertical movement relatively to its mounting means whereby when an obstruction is metthe transfer head will move vertically to avoid rigidity of the arcuate movement and prevent breakage of bottles or ofthe mechanism; to provide a shifting mechanismoperable by contact with the mounting shaft of the bottle transfer head to move the movable member of the transfer head into ens -8-' ing and releasing positions.

With these and other objects in view, the inventi'on comprises the combination of members and arrangement of parts so combined as to coact and co-operate with each other in the performance of the functions and the accomplishment of the results herein contemplated, and comprises in one of its adaptations the species or preferred form illustrated in the accompanyin drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view 01' a machine embodyin my invention employed as a filling ma.- chine for cellular or honey-comb cases;

Fig. 1a is a perspective view partially broken away showing the operating mechanism for the bottle-engaging and releasing members and the bottle stops for bottle-spreading mechanism embodied in our, said machine;

Fig. 1b is a large fragmentary view in perspective of the rear end of bottle-spreading mecha- '4 actuator-device in contact with the movable member of the transfer head, in engaging position over the bottle-spreader, and also showing in dot- 1 tedlines the releasing position of the movable member transfer head, and adjacent parts over a Fig. 8a is a view in plan similar to Fig. 8 01 the transfer head over a cellular case;

,nism showing the bottle stops and locking mechanism therefor;

Fig. 1c is a detail fragmentary view of the operating lever mechanism for the bottle stop rack showing in Fig. 1a;

Fig. id is a detail fragmentary view of the operating lever mechanism for moving the actuating means for the transfer head;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation showing our said ma-' chine from the right hand end of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the machine from the opposite end of that shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation showing a conventional cellular or honey-comb bottle-carrying case in tilted position with the mouths of the cells or honey-comb chambers raised into position to receive the bottoms of the bottles and also illustrating my specific form of actuator for bottle-engaging and releasing mechanism; I

Fig. 4a is a detail view of the operating levers and cam wheel for tilting the tilting support or transfer-head being shown in full lines with they Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the alternately-operable shifting device for the. movable engaging member of the transfer head which engages and releases the bottles;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view in side elevation corresponding to the plan view of Fig. 8a showing in disengaged or released position the movable plate member of the transfer head and the actuating element therefor;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary view in perspective of a .portion of the transfer head and bottles in engaged position, parts being broken away to illustrate the construction of the head;

Fig. 12 is a view in perspective of the bottlespreader partially broken away to illustrate the construction thereof and operating elements therefor when the spreader is in closed and locked position and the bottle-stop pins lowered out of operative position;

Fig. 12a is a fragmentary sectional view on the line l2a-I2a of Fig. 12;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentaryview similar to Fig. 12 showing the rear corner of the bottle-spreader in spread position with the bottle stops in operative position and also illustrating the lever and cam mechanism for actuating the spreader;

Fig. is a fragmentaryend elevation of the lever and eccentric-pin mechanism shown at the bottom of Fig. 13;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing part of one section of the spreading device and the constructional features thereof;

Fig. 15 is another view in perspective showin the spreader and bottle stopping mechanism with the top members eliminated to show the operating levers therefor;

Fig. 16 is a side elevation partly broken away, of a modiiiedconstruction in which bottles are taken from a cellular case and deposited on a conveyor belt;

Fig. 17 is a top plan view of the corner of the transfer-head employed by me; 4

Fig. 17a is a bottom plan view of a portion of said transfer head; A

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary section on the line 19-49 of Fig. 17 with'the parts in disengagin positions; and

Fig. 19 is a section similar to Fig. 18 showing the parts in bottle-engaging position. I

Our invention, in its preferred'form, embodies a suitable skeleton supporting frame In having at a suitable level'and preferably at substantially the level of a suitable conventional bottle-feeding mechanism II a starting support I: preferably including a longitudinally channelled articlereceiving an'd-spreading platform or shelf If."

adapted to receive a series or plurality of rows,

comprising a loadv of articles, such as bottles from said feed mechanism. The bottles are-when received spread transversely into said plurality or vseries of longitudinal rows by conventional feed mechanism, and are moved, while in substantial or actual abutment with each other, into the lononaco more facile engagement of the same by a transfer head, as hereinafter specified. The spreading platform I2 is preferably composed of a series of sections I2a disposed transversely of the path offeeding movement of the bottles, each-section being adapted when the bottles are accumulated or aggregated on the spreading platform to support a transverse row of bottles comprising one bottle from each longitudinal line or row thereof and all such sections except one being movable to separate from another and to carry a, row of bottles thereon to cause a longitudinal spreading of the series of rows of bottles. A conventional bottle-case carries twenty-four bottles and we preferably receive and spread an entire case-load at one time. With such a load our receiving and spreading platform is adapted to spread six rows longitudinally in relation to each other, it being understood that the individual bottles in a row are initially, in the feeding operation, separated or spread from each other transversely and are maintained in such transversely-spread condition by the use of channel side rails or partitions fl2b on the sectional bottle-spreader. The frame of the machine also provides at substantially the same horizontal level as the spreading mechanism a delivery support l3. This delivery support may comprise, in whole or in part, a conveyor belt I32: which is adapted to feed boxes and preferably cellular or honey-comb cases ll into a position in substantial registration linearly with the posited on a suitable support and preferably so deposited in a case or box supported at such other side of said pivotal shaft. The transfer head is guided so as to maintaina horizontal position during its swinging movement by a pair of articulating levers l9 pivoted at l9f on the members III at one end and at the opposite end to the frame member 300. The transfer head is so mounted on a parallelogram of swinging or oscillating arms and so guided as to cause said head during its bottle-carrying vertical movement to be continuload of bottles on the receiving and bottle-spread-.

engaging position over and in parallelismwith said bottle-spreader to a bottle-depositing position above a case or other suitable delivery support and we preferably mount said head on arms I6 fixed on an oscillating drive shaft ll disposed transversely of and adjacent to rear end of the spreading shelf or bottle support and above the tray and box or case support. The arms I8 are movable vertically in the arc of a circle and the transfer head is thus, upon movement by such arms to starting or bottle-engaging position, adapted to move down over the tops of the articles and with bottles to engage such tops just below the rim-beads common to all beverage bottles. This engagement is accomplished by using the mounting frame or transfer head I5 and mounting thereon (Figs. 11, 17 to 1 9 a relatively stationary bottle-guiding-and-receiving member l5 having bottle receiving openings Ilia of suitable dimension and a shiftable or reciprocable bottleengaging member lib provided with bottlereceiving openings comprising a receiving-portion I50 registerable with the opening Ilia and a communicating fork-shaped bottle engaging slot lid contracted in relation to the receiving openings [5a and I50 and then shifting, through the operation of a suitably-timed actuating member It on the machine, of the said shiftable bottle-engagously maintained in horizontal position so that the bottles carried thereby will be held in substantially vertical position. The bottles are thus while held in vertical position moved or swung in an arcuate or semi-circular path from the spreading shelf or table to a supportat the opposite side of the shaft or pivot, and we have found that a load of bottles may be released from carriers and set down on anysuitable support at such opposite side without clatter or clash of any kind, and in some cases it will be desirable merely to move these bottles to ahorizontal supportsuch as a conveyor belt at such opposite sides of the machine and to release the bottles on such support after which they will be conveyed away before a new load is set down thereon by the transfer head. In one form of our invention, however, the bottoms of the bottles are preferably directly inserted into honey-comb chambers or cells of a conventional bottle-carrying wooden case. These cells are usually square or cubical in conformation and closely fit the bottles,.and in the instant invention, in the transfer of bottles, after the same are lifted or moved to their highest vertical position they will move during the last half of their movement in a downward arcuate path. In order to insert bottoms of bottles so transferred or moving within the mouths of the cellular compartments would require great accuracy of longitudinal positioning of the case and/or a complicated mechanism for guiding the honey-combs of the case and bottles into registration. We avoid any such complicated mechanism and enable the insertion of the bottoms of the bottles into the cellular cases by providing means for simultaneously rocking or shifting the horror case into transversely aligned position and for causing longitudinal alignment and also providing for a successive movement of the several rows of the load into the mouths of the several rows of cells in the case during movement of the load of bottles to releasing position. This successive insertion of the several rows is accomplished by providing means for tilting upwardly one end of the box or case into inclined position in relation to the bottoms of the bottles whereby the bottoms of the end row of bottles on the'carrier will be engaged by rear partitions or walls of the cells while in inclined position and at an elevation considerably above the final horizontal support, whereupon the case is then permitted to move down or be lowered conjointly with the carrier and load of bottles but at a slower rate so that during such downward movement the .several rows of bottles in the carrier will suecessively enter successive rows of cells or compartments.- In this way each of the rows of bottles will be cleanly and efliciently deposited within their compartments without the necessity of any guides or other extraneous means and without any noise or clatter. The-top edges of the box or case by this tilting movement cause the rear partitions of each cell to form a guide which first engages the heel of the bottle and guides the same into its cell in the case and we have found that by this method the longitudinal alignment of the case or box may be merely approximate and that in case the case or box is materially out of proper position, the bottles 'will, after contact with the rear partitions of the I is properly positioned no noise will occur.

In the case-filling embodiment of our bottletransfer handling machine, the empty cases it (see Figs. 1, 3 and 4). are moved or fed by hand or by suitable mechanism now shown, into approximate position over a case-tilting and transverse-shifting mechanism. This case-tilting and transverse-shifting mechanism, comprises a vertically-sw case support or platform, it mounted, as illustrated on a vertical frame I! extending upwardly from the tilting platform P, pivotally mounted in the frame In ,of the machine on pivot tip, and swung about said pivot by suitable cam mechanism hereinafter more particularly specified. The tilting platform it not only swings or tilts one end of the case up- 8 shifted to pass beneath the rim beads of the bottles and thus to lock such bottles to the transfer-head. Assuming, therefore, that it is desired to load a case by such transfer-head, twentyfour of these funnel-guarded bottle-receiving openings lia will be provided in the relatively stationary plate and twenty-four similar bottlereceiving openings lie in the shiftable plate will in one position register with the openings I54: and when the plate lib is shifted the communi cating contracted bayonet or forked slots will tion over such'bottles. actuating mechanism i8 wardly into a position inclined with-relation to honey-comb chambers will first engage the-heels of the bottles and upon further downward movement, the case which is somewhat loosely supported will be primarily moved by engagement of the ends or heels of bottles with the walls of the honeycombs. The successive transverse rows of bottles will be consequently inserted successively in the honey-comb chambers.

In our preferred mechanim for engaging and releasing the tops of the bottles (see Figs. 8, 8a,

11 and 17 to 20) we preferablyemploy a guide 7 and holder member comprising inverted funnels 2|, each having its upper portion connected to the relatively-stationary bottle-receiving member and its contracted end communicating with the enlarged bottle receiving apertures so that the inverted funnels extend downwardly beneath such bottle-receiving apertures and upon movement of the transfer-head downwardly over bottles, guide such bottles into the bottle-receiving openings of the relatively-stationary and shiftable plate members carried by said head. After insertion of the bottles, the inverted funnels 2| retain'and hold the bottles during the transfer movement of the said head against excessive swinging or tilting movement relatively to the head and when delivery to a honey-comb case is required these funnels maintain the positions of the bottles to enable facile entrance of the same into the honeycombs. I

Upon the initial movement of the transfer head downwardly over the tops of a load of bottles, the bottle-tops pass upwardly through the inverted funnels and then through the bottlereceiving openings of the stationary and shiftable members. The shiftable members are adapted in one position to permit the. bottles to rise through and above such members but in the is provided for moving or shifting the said bayonet-slotted portion of the shiftable member longitudinally beneath the rim-beads and the open ends of said forked slot will be closed by 'a perimetric portion of the relatively stationary bottle-receiving openings so as to lock such. tops of the bottles to the head. When this locking is .accomplished the carrier is then moved vertically in the arc of a circle to its bottle depositing posi-; tion whereupon the actuating mechanism will again be operated to shift the shiftable member in the opposite direction, and thus to completely release the tops of the bottles and deposit them on a suitable horizontal support or within the honey-combs of a box as hereinabove described. In this shifting movement, the forked or bayonet 'slot slides over the relatively stationary opposite edge portion of the stationary opening and pos.- itive release is eifected, and the bottles pass downwardly by gravity to the depositing platform or honey-comb case.

Our starting support or frame l2 (see Figs. 5,

5a and 5b) has mounted thereon a pair of outwardly-extending angle-bars I23: having their horizontal member facing each other and arranged to provide stationary ways, and our preferred form of spreading device or article spreader is mounted on these ways with antifriction rollers i211 therebetween and comprises a plurality of sectional'slats l2 slidably mounted at their opposite ends on said stationary ways of the starting support (see Figs. 2, 5, 5b, 7, 8,

12-15) so as to have a limited and controlled sliding movement relatively to said stationary ways to separate a load of articles from the oncoming feed thereof and also a controlled and limited sliding movement relatively to each other in order to spread rows of articles mounted thereon from each other. v V f The sectional slats l2 as shown are connected to spread-controlling, means comprising a spreading frame composed of two'longitudinallyextending spread-control members I20 connected together at the inner ends by a transverse member iZg (see Fig. 55) both transverse and longitudinal members beingfixedly-connected to the end slat. The horizontal member is connected intermediate its ends with operating lever-mechanism hereinafter describedand the longitudinal members are slotted at spaced intervals to provide in combination with pins .i2aon the other slats a slot-and-pin connection therewith, the pins being held in place in the slots by washers l2w. Said two longitudinally extending spread-controlling members of said frame are arranged parallel to the angle-bar ways i2: and

, the outer-end slat preferably has a separate slotment of a row of articles or bottles mounted thereon away from the incoming feed rows of articles or bottles, as aforesaid. The other slat members will similarly bemovable along said ways relatively to said outer end member and will have their respective movements limited and controlled by the slots in parallel spread-controlling members, so as to spread rows of articles or bottles mounted thereon relativelyto each other.

In the embodiment shown, there are six slats slidably mounted on the angle-bar ways I20: by rollers I2 1. The slat at the inner end nearest the shaft I I is as aforesaid fixedly fastened to the ends of the spread-control members I 2c and thus forms a slat member that cross connects at one end the spread-control members I20, and is slidably mounted with the other slats on the angle-bar ways I2w by a pair of the rollers I211. The .slidable slat at the opposite or outer end of the support is also slidably connected to the spread-control members I2c, .by straps or yokes I2a' spanning said spread-control members Me. An article-spreading frame is thus produced that has, as aforesaid, a limited and controlled sliding movement relatively to the stationary ways I2:r, and the slat members of which also have movements relatively to each other controlled and limited by their slot-and-pln connections with the spread-controlmembers I2c. In order to assure the movement'of each of the slats from its ad- Jacent slat and to cause them to move a controlled distance relatively to such adjacent slat and thus to procure proper spreading of the slats and bottles mounted thereon, the controlled movements between the several slats and the spread-control members are progressively lengthened by progressively lengthening the slots of the slot-and-pin connections, thus permitting spreading and spacing of the slats from each other in open position and permitting the closing up of the spaces between slats to permit receipt of a new load of bottles. I

It is desirable to provide separate movements at different rates of speedfor spreading the slats and for closing the same. Our preferred means for this purpose (see Figs. 12 to 15) comprise diate its ends at I2m' on the skeleton frame of the machine and has its lower end engaged by an eccentricaily mounted pin or stud I2n on a cam-wheel I2o mounted on the reduction gearing shaft RGS to produce a relatively slow opening or spreading movement. Top roduce the necessary faster closing movement of the slats, I provide (see Fig. 13) a closing lever I2p pivoted at I 211 (see Fig. 13) on the machine operated by eccentric stud I2r on the cam wheel I and adapt- 10 I2p' intermediate its ends and to move the same at a relatively faster rate of speed to closing position. As shown, this differential speed is accomplished by providing separate studs on the cam-wheel with different inclinations on the ends of the operating levers, the shortening of the relative lengths above the pivots of the closing lever, and the engagement by' this relatively short lever of the opening lever'intermediate its pivot and the fork. The'movements of the cams, studs and head so that the bottles will be properly spread when the transfer head reaches: its starting position and will then be immediately closed to permit receiving a new load while the said transfer head is having its transfer movement.

. It is desirable, so soon as the bottles are received on the spreader to stop the feed of the additional bottles from the feed line and for this purpose I provide a rack 24 including a series of pins 24:: (see Figs. 1a, lb, 10, 12 and 13) movable upwardly from beneath the starting support to intersect the longitudinal feed channels and into the path of the bottles being fed to the machine. These pins are mounted on a vertically movable cross-member 24' which is in turn mounted on a long vertical lever 24a pivotally connected'to a shorter horizontal lever 24b pivoted at 24p to a fixed bracket member 24d and having a cameonnection with a cam-wheel 240 on the shaft RGS of reduction earing.

It is also desirable to lock the spreader. after the same is moved to bottle-receiving closed position and for this purpose (see Figs. 1b and 12) I provide on the vertical lever a hook 24c adapted to engage a pin 24! on a downwardly-extending rod 249 on the frame of the spreader. The looking of the spreader and the stopping of the bottles are thus accomplished by the same lever mechanism.

Our preferred form of mechanism for moving the case-support to align the case transversely and to tilt the case longitudinally as hereinabove described, comprises (see Figs, 2, 4, 4a) the mounting of the upright frame members I3, I3 on a horizontal rectangular tilting frame P pivoted near its ends on a horizontal pivot. One side member of the frame P extends rearwardly of the pivot shaft tp and a diagonal member 11' connects opposite side members and is pivoted intermediate its ends on said pivot shaft tp and the.

frame P is tilted by operating lever-mechanism connected therewith at the junction of the diagonal member with said rearwardly-extended side member. Said frame is thus tilted, as shown, by the pivotal engagement at p2 (as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5) of one end of a vertically-disposed operating lever P2 pivotally connected at its other end to a horizontal lever p3 engaged I3 carry at the upper end thereof the laterally extending wedge members I3a which, when a box is mounted on the supporting members will, upon upward tilting of said frame, cause a shifting ed to engage the upright or vertical lever 'I2m at movement of the box transversely so as to proptending beyond opposite ends of the shiftablemember lob so as to permit shifting in opposite directions to engage the tops of the bottles and to retain the same on said transier head during its movement and also to release such tops at one limit of its movement. As shown, the actuating mechanism preferably employed comprises a head l8 and duplicate wedge members I8a having a vertical movement. This pair of wedge members We are adapted on vertical movement to engage and to be spread apart by theoscil lating shaft ll, Said wedge-members [8a are held together (see Figs. 7, 9 and 10) by a spring I82; and upon vertical movement thereof spread out horizontal to engage the contact arm extensions la: carried by the shiftable member lib of the transfer head so as to lock and release said shiftable member 151) on alternate movements of the actuating mechanism l8. The lever mechanism for moving the wedge members vertically comprises a vertical lever we guided in guide.

plates I8c, IM and connected at its upper end to the. actuating head I8 and pivoted at its lowor endto'one end of a horizontal lever He, the other end of which is pivoted on a horizontally fixed pivot rod I81: fast on the frame of the ma- 1 chine. Said horizontal lever 18c carries a track l8! intermediate its end and.this track is engaged by an eccentric stud l8g on the wheel of the circular plate 18h. Upon rotation of the wheel l8h, the stud I8g moves the horizontallever i8e' about its pivot and raises the vertical lever which in turn moves the operating spreading wedges l8a into engagement with the said against the action of the sp which ends to hold the said wedges 18a together. On alternative movements, therefore, the wedges Ilia which are jointly pivoted at the lower ends to the head 18' at the upper end of the vertical lever l8e are moved or spread horizontally to engage the opposite ends of contact member I52: of the transfer head. The guide plates l8c and l8d cause accurate movements of the wedge members into position to be spread by the shaft l1 and this movement is, as aforesaid, synchronized with the back and forth movements of said transfer head.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 6 and '7, I have shown the transfer head it: mounted on a frame 30 and providedwith sliding sleeve members 30a mounted on rods 30b connected to the operating or swinging mechthe thicknesses of the bottoms of the bottle and of the cases and enables facile operation of the adjacent arts without any breaking stresses or the like.

Our preferred mechanism for oscillating the 12 shaft I! to move the'transfer head comprises a gear 3| mounted on said shaft and meshing with I a larger gear 32 independently mounted on shaft 32' and oscillated by arms 33 fixed thereto at one end and having their other ends pivoted to a;

vertical transmission rod 34 which is in turn pivoted to a crank arm 35 which is mounted on the gear reduction shaft, GRS.

The operation of the machine and its various parts have been fully described hereinabove and a will be clear from the foregoing description.

, oscillating shaft to' spread the same horizontally w In Fig. 16 we have shown an embodiment of our invention, employed for removing bottles from a box or case and depositing them on a conveyor belt which may be used to transfer the bot-' the same on a belt 42 mounted on the vertical flanges of channel-barsv 43 by means of rollers M. In other respects, the construction is similar to that hereinabove shown and described;

It is desirable to counterweight the load of bottles during a transfer or swinging movement of the transfer head and for this purpose, I provide on the oscillator shaft II a gear 40 and connect this gear by sprocket chain 39 with a gear 38 mounted on stud shaft 40 on the frame of the machine and fixedly attach to said gear 38 a crank-arm 31 having at its end a counterweight 3B," which will oscillate in the opposite direction on each movement of a load.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. A machine for transferring bottles and like -articles embodying, in combination, a; starting support for articles to be handled, article-aggregating means for positioning a load of articles on said starting support in transverse rowsya tilting member oscillative vertically having mounted thereon a receptacle having transverse wall members and movable from an initial, substantially horizontal position into an inclined position tilted at. an angle to the horizontal and back again, a transfer head, article engagin'g means on said transfer head adapted to engage the topportions of said rows of articles to cause the bottom portions to project downwardly below. said head in spaced rows, power means for alternately moving said transfer head in a vertically arcuate path about a horizontal axis from a start-- ing position in substantial parallelism and reelstration with said starting support to a delivery position in substantial registrationwith said receptacle-tilting member, means for tilting said oscillative receptacle-tilting member in timed relationship to the arcuate movement of said trans fer head to cause a transverse wall member of the receptacle in such tilted position of the tiltingmember to contact the bottoms of the articles in a, row of articles to facilitate movement'of the articles into said receptacle, and means for moving the article-engaging means on the transfer 2'. A machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the article-aggregating means positions a series of rows on the starting support, the movement of the transfer head causes, the bottoms of the rows of articles to'move in a series of arcuate paths,

and the tilting member has mounted thereon a receptacle with honeycomb compartments, and the movement of said tilting member is timed with the movement of said transfer head to cause initial contact of one of said transverse wall members with the bottoms of a, row ofarticles and in the downward movement thereof to cause other transverse wall members to contact successively with the bottoms of the articles in other rows.

3. A machine for transferring bottles and like articles embodying in combination, a starting support for articles to be handled, article-a regating means for positioning a load of articles on said starting support in transverse rows, a tilting member oscillative vertically having mounted thereon a receptacle having transverse wall-members and movable from an initial, substantially horizontal position into an inclined position tilted at an angle to the horizontal and back again, a transfer head, article-engaging means on said transfer head adapted to engage the top portions of said rows of articles to cause the bottom portions to project downwardly below said head in spaced rows, power means for alternately moving saidtransfer head in a vertically arcuate path about a horizontal axis from a starting position in substantial parallelism and registration with said starting support to a delivery position in substantial registration with said receptacle-tilting member, means for tilting said oscillative receptacle-tilting member in timed relationship to the arcuate movement of said transfer head to cause a transverse wall-memberof the receptacle in such tilted position of the tilting member to contact the bottoms of the articles in a row of articles to facilitate movement of the articles into said receptacle, means for independently moving the receptacle on said receptacle-tilting member to accurately position said receptacle'in relation thereto and to the bottoms of the articles in the transfer head, and means for moving the articleengaging means on the transfer head to release engagement thereof with the tops of the articles to oad the articles into said receptacle.

4. A machine for transferring bottles and like articles embodying. in combination, a starting support for articles to be handled, article-aggregating means for positioning a load of articles on said starting support in rows, a tilting member oscillative vertically having a partitioned receptacle mounted thereon and movable from an initial, substantially horizontal position into a position tilted at an angle to the horizontal and back again, a transfer head, an alternately shiftable member on said head having article-engaging and'disengaging means and movable in one direction to engage-with the tops of a load of articles on said starting support to cause the bottoms of the articles to project downwardly and movable in the opposite direction to disengage said articles over said tilting membenpower means for alternately moving said transfer head in said vertically. arcuate path to positions over said starting support and tilting member, mechanically movable actuating means synchronized with said power-driven head-moving means for shifting said shiftable member in one direction at said of articles and for shifting said shiftable member in the opposite direction at said delivery position to automatically release said articles, and means for tiltingsaid oscillative receptacle-tilting member in timed relationship to the arcuate movement of said transfer head to cause a partition of the receptacle in such tilted position of the tilting member to contact the bottoms of the articles in a row of articles to facilitate movement of the articles into said receptacle.

5. A transfer machine for bottles and like articles embodying, in combination, a skeleton frame, a starting support for articles to be handled, means for aggregating a load of articles on said starting support in a series of transverse rows, a delivery support comprising a receptacletilting member having mounted thereon a receptacle provided with a series of transverse partitions and oscillative vertically to move the receptacle mounted thereon from an initial substantially horizontal position into a position tilted at an angle to the horizontal position and back again, an oscillating power shaft disposed between said starting and delivery supports, a

transfer head mounted on said oscillating shaft,

power driven means for oscillating said power shaft to move said transfer head in an arcuate path from a starting position in substantial parallelism with said starting support to a delivery position in substantial parallelism over said de-' livery support, means on said transfer head adapted to engage the top portions of a load of articles and to cause the bottom portions to pro- Ject downwardly below said head andsaid transverse rows of articles to move in a series of arcuate paths, means for moving said receptacletilting member in timed relationship to the ar-. cuate movement of said head into the path of the bottoms of the said rows of articles to cause each of the transverse partitions of the receptacle successively to engage a row of articles in the transfer head to facilitate the movement of such articles into the receptacle, and means for automatically releasing said top portions of the load of articles in the delivery position of said head.

SOREN MADSEN. JOSEPH F. O'BRIEN. v CLAUDE n. KEITH.

REFERENCES crrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Freese Dec. 29, 1925 

